1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to enclosures for handling hazardous material. More specifically, the invention is directed to an evacuated enclosure which is used for handling, inspecting or processing hazardous materials, irritating substances or articles or containers known or suspected of containing the same.
2. Discussion of the Art
There previously exist a number of enclosures for handling chemical, nuclear or bio-hazardous material in a self contained environment. These enclosures are commonly employed in industrial laboratory environments.
Recently, national concerns over health hazards resulting from bio-hazardous mail, chemical weapons, or nuclear materials, require the use of a contained environment for handling suspect mail and other objects. Prior hereto, the devices for handling bio-hazardous materials used relatively non-portable vented hoods and sophisticated filtering mechanisms. Current mail cleaning centers propose use of enclosed environments with a filtered exhaust unit and in some cases means of destroying the suspected bio-hazardous material. These centers focus on handling mail through postal carriers.
Inexpensive mail opening devices for consumer and office use which exist provide containment, but are inadequate in their ability to provide a suitable evacuated environment. For example, glove bags exist for portable clean-up or inspection, but provide no vacuum.
However, there remains a need for a relatively inexpensive device for relatively fail safe handling of hazardous and potentially hazardous material in a portable relatively inexpensive manner. This requires secure protection from aerosols and gases provided by vacuum in the enclosure. The enclosure of the present invention overcomes the deficiency in the art. As will be better understood from the discussion which follows, the enclosure for handling hazardous materials of the present invention provides a controlled environment wherein handling of the material can occur and can be readily and safely contained and removed from a site. The enclosure of the present invention also provides a readily portable and economical enclosure.